


Endeavour: Sun

by Parakeetist



Category: Endeavour (TV), Inspector Morse (TV)
Genre: Arcades, Candy, Dating, Dinner, Getting Stood Up, Love is Strange, Work, pinball, stepmother - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 15:45:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18781306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Parakeetist/pseuds/Parakeetist
Summary: This story begins in the fifth season, in the first episode.





	Endeavour: Sun

Endeavour: Sun  
by Parakeetist

Morse drove along the street. It was a sunny day. He had been assigned to the afternoon-to-evening shift. He might deliberately get to work a little bit later than usual. 

Then he saw someone familiar walking down the block. He pulled over. 

“Miss Thursday,” he said. “Mind if I give you a lift somewhere?” 

“No, I’m going to meet someone. Thanks for the offer.” 

“It’s a long walk.” 

“Well… it is.” She got in the passenger side. “Here’s a half-pound for the petrol.” 

“Don’t need it,” he said, and got on his way again. “Where to?” 

“Milano’s.” 

“Where’s that?” 

“Mercury Street.” 

“Oh. I’ve never been there.” 

“Neither have I. It’s supposed to be good.” 

He turned up the radio. 

Minutes later, they pulled over at the eatery. He opened her door. 

“See you later,” Joan said. Endeavour nodded. 

She went in, and spoke to the man at the podium. “Is Alfred Thompson here?” 

He checked his book. “No, I’m afraid he called ahead to cancel. Said he won’t be coming back.” 

“Oh. Thank you.” 

She walked out. Morse’s car was still there. 

“You were waiting for me?” she said. 

“Figured you might need a ride back.” 

“Did you know something I didn’t know?” She dabbed a finger over each tear duct. 

He shrugged. “Just had a hunch. Want to go somewhere else?” 

“Ah, where?” 

“Toffski’s.” 

“What is that?” 

He just got back in the car. She did as well. He started to drive. 

They arrived and parked. He opened the door of the restaurant. 

“Table for two, please,” he said to the concierge. The man sat them in a corner of the room. 

“This is very nice. You didn’t have to.” 

“Think nothing of it.” 

She looked over the menu. “Hmm, hard to choose. They have chicken Kiev. I’m sure that’s good.” 

When the waiter came over, he said, “I’ll have the beef Stroganoff, and white wine.” 

“Very good, sir. And the lady?” 

“Chicken kiev and a red.” 

“Fine.” He took their menus and walked away. 

“I have a new job.” 

“Your second? Isn’t that awfully long hours?” 

“Yes, but it’s only part-time. It’s at a museum. I’m a tour guide.” 

“A docent? Well, you ought to enjoy that.” 

“I do. It’s fun to talk to the kids.” 

“You seem to like being around children.” 

“Yes. They listen. The only bad thing is getting them not to fidget.” 

“That’s a task.” 

The waiter brought over their wine glasses. Joan raised hers. “To-” she said, and paused. 

“Your health,” Endeavour said, and drank. Ms. Thursday did as well. 

“How are things at the station?” Joan asked. 

“The usual.” Morse gave her a look. “Boyfriend?” 

She paused for a moment. “How did you know?” 

“Figured. Who was he?” 

“Your instincts are as good as ever. Alfred Thompson. He was a solicitor.” 

“How long have you been seeing him?” 

“A week. I must have made him unhappy already.” 

“Why would you say that?” He sipped his wine. “There are better things to worry about.” 

“True. It’s nothing.” 

“You really liked him.” 

“Ah… I had a small crush on him. Ran into him at the laundromat.” 

“You’d think a solicitor would buy his own washer and dryer.” 

“Right.” She drank the rest of her wine. “Hope the food arrives soon.” 

Minutes later, the waiter walked up. He put their plates on the table, and refreshed Joan’s wine. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked. 

“Nothing,” she said, with a quick smile. 

“I’m paid to notice these things.” 

“You got it. If I don’t meet someone, I’ll be-” She stopped. 

“Alone ‘for the rest of your life’?” 

“That’s it.” She nodded. 

“Why?” 

She sighed. “Well, I’m past the usual age when people first get married.” 

“You’re not. You’re in your, um, twenties.” 

“Yes, at the end of them. That’s barely acceptable.” 

“To whom? For what?” 

“Well, if I put my age in an ad in the paper, they will notice. That’s the first thing they’re looking for.” 

“Why did he ask you out? Didn’t he see you before?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Then don’t worry about it.” 

“You’re right.” 

They finished eating. He paid and left a generous tip. They walked outside. 

She wandered ahead of him, but looked into the middle distance. “You look lost,” he said. 

“I am.” 

“Let’s go somewhere. Have some fun.” 

“Since when do you do that?” She smiled. 

“Since right now.” 

They got in the car. He drove to an amusement hall on the outskirts of town. He put a couple of pounds into the change machine, and split the coins with her. 

“Pinball first?” he said. She nodded. They found the machines. He picked one and pumped in enough coins for a two-player game. “I’m first.” He pulled the ball shooter. 

The ball bounced everywhere. He snapped the flippers. He lost his first shot. “Ah, damn. All yours.” 

She took her turn, and earned 10,000 points before she lost the ball. He took over. 

The game ended with him ahead by 30,000 points. “Well! What’s next?” he smiled. 

“Air hockey?” She pointed to a table. He went over and put in the coins. They picked up the bats. He threw down the puck. 

The game began. She scored the first goal. 

“Good omen!” She laughed. She tossed the puck in the middle of the table. 

In the next volley, he slapped the puck off the table. “Oh, let me go get it.” He went to pick it up. In so doing, he gave her a good look at the back of him. She snickered. 

“What is that for?” he said, when he noticed. 

“Nothing,” she smirked, and slapped the puck. 

She won 7-5. “Now we’re even. Slushies?” 

“What are those?” 

“Fruit flavor and chopped ice.” 

“Well, I’ll have one.” 

They went to the snack stand and got the drinks. They sat down on a bench. 

“Interesting,” he said. “Seems the ice gets stuck together at the bottom.” 

“Yeah, that’ll happen.” 

“Feeling any better?” 

“Much, yes. Thank you for everything. Want to tell stories?” 

“Well,” he said, scratching his neck, “what about?” 

“I’ll start. When I was ten, I took a bike ride. Sam followed me. He was pulling a wagon. We found this turtle, flipped over. He turned it the right way up, and put in his wagon. We kept it for two years. We fed it pellets from the store, and lettuce, sometimes.” 

“What did you name it?” 

“Ernie. It laid eggs. They didn’t hatch.” 

“Embarrassing.” 

She smiled. “Now you.” 

Endeavour sighed. “My stepmother, Gwen, never liked me.” He stopped. 

“And?” she said, after a moment. 

“That’s it.” He tapped his foot and put one arm over the back of the bench. 

“Are you sure?” Joan said. He tossed his head from side to side. “All right. Let’s go.” 

She looked up in the sky. “Awfully bright today.” 

He did the same. “You’re not supposed to look directly at it. Burns your eyes.” 

“I’ve done that already.” 

“So have I.” 

They kept walking. Joan stopped in a candy shop. 

“Half a pound of sour hard candies, all flavors, please.” The clerk made up the bag. Joan paid. “Thank you,” she said. They left the shop. 

Endeavour held out his hand. She gave him four candies. "Cherry, lemon, grape, orange.” 

He put one in his mouth. “Interesting. Do they have an ale flavor?” 

“You and your beer. My father really opened Pandora’s box when he made you try one.” 

“I haven’t done any heavy drinking since university. And then only a few times.” 

“Not what I heard.” 

He turned toward her. “What have you heard?” 

“There was that time you shared an entire bottle of Scotch.” 

He narrowed his eyes. “How did you know about that?” 

“Word gets around.” 

He glared at her for a few seconds, then walked to the car. 

Endeavour drove back to her flat. They got out. “What’s the matter?” Joan asked. He shrugged. “Don’t you want to see me safely home?” she said. He started the car. 

She went into her flat.


End file.
